Istanbul, Turkey (TR)

Istanbul, Constantinople, Byzantine et al., TR

The Hagia Sophia Started As a Christian Holy Place

The Christian Church Became a Mosque 

Riding our bikes into Istanbul and finding our hostel was an experience! Before we even entered Istanbul we had to decide in what part of the city we wanted to stay for a few days. Istanbul is HUGE. Most people (Tourists) want to see the Sultanahmet area; the area around the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. And since we were tourists we were headed to that district, too. Sultanahmet is a large area, a whole district of Istanbul and it takes weeks to walk most of it. We only had a few days in town before we had to head back to Germany. Not that I felt rushed but I know I have to come back to Istanbul to see ‘other’ things. So we did not rush through, we meandered. Our ‘hotel’ was a hostel, the Sultan Hostel.   

This Hostel is centrally located, rated above 8.0 on most websites and a good place to stay when in Istanbul. It is not a posh place, it is a Hostel. We picked it because of its central location and the ease of getting to anything made it a good place to stay. I am sure there are other places, even better places, but we had a spot to park our bikes, received breakfast, had our own room with bath and the room was quiet. What else do we want? The price was OK, too.

The ride into Istanbul was difficult on a motorcycle. Cars veered in front of us to take an exit without signaling, tailgating seems to be a sport, signage is only for the initiated and there are just too many cars on the road, most of them sharing the lane we were in. It was tough on the nerves, clutch hand, brakes and eyes. You have to be totally awake to ride through Istanbul; there is not much room for error. Carol is a good rider, I can tell you that, she was a trooper and we made it to the Hostel alright. It helped a lot that I have been to Istanbul before; I had a pretty good grasp of the city and knew somewhat the direction we had to go. Still, because of road closures for construction, we got lost a few times despite the GPS and my knowledge of having been there, etc. If you go to Istanbul, study, I mean really study the maps. Once checked into the Hostel we never rode the bikes until we left Istanbul. Like NYC, there is no need for personal transport in Istanbul; you walk a lot, take trolleys, and hire taxis.

The sounds of the city are highlighted several times a day by the muezzins calling for prayer. Around the Blue Mosque are many other mosques and the calls are ‘timed’ so that when one call finishes, the other starts. It is quite pleasant to hear the muezzin call, very melodic and a bit romantic even. When it was prayer time, we did not go to the mosques however, we just found a bench or chair or table and sat for 10 minutes, giving the religious people their respect or due. We noticed that most people just kept on going on with their daily lives. Yes, this is an Islamic Country like Italy is a Christian Country but it is very, very secular. Here and there I saw women with a hijab, but most wore western clothing. I only saw one burka in the few days we were in Istanbul.

Hagia Sophia 

Islamic Details Are Amazingly Delicate 

After we had settled into the Sultan Hostel, we walked over to the Hagia Sophia. Entering the museum (formerly a Christian patriarchal Basilica and later an Imperial Mosque) I was overwhelmed by the huge space. What a building! To come to Istanbul and just visit the Hagia Sophia (meaning Holy Wisdom) would be understandable. This is a one of a kind spot on earth. The building is so large, so huge, so spread out that you could study the details for years and probably find yourself not knowing much. There is hidden history around every corner. Humanity has passed through its doors. From the earliest years in 537 AD until today many, many souls have visited this space. Never mind that this ‘Holy Wisdom’ place took almost 1000 years to build. It was and is a ‘holy’ place and a must visit destination.

This Is a Mosaic Made From Very Small Tiles

This Is An Islamic Mosaic With Absolutely Wonderful Detail

The Whole Of This Wall and Door Are Made Of Marble

We spent about 3 hours or more just gawking in awe, straining our necks to look up and about. We could see Christian symbols interspersed with Muslim symbols. I even sat down on one of the few benches along the wall and just watched people. We took too many pictures, but I could not help myself. Carol was in her glory, this is her kind of place, full of history and beautiful mosaics. On an upper level we found the wall-to-wall Marble Gate used by the Synod when entering/leaving their meeting rooms. On the upper level walls were beautiful glittering, gold-tiled mosaics of Biblical scenes or Imperial portraits. There are just too many details to mention, this is a place you have to visit yourself and while here, take your time to see a lot of it.

I could go back to Istanbul just to visit the Hagia Sophia again and maybe I will do that in the future.

For dinner we ate at a ‘rooftop’ restaurant. We climbed rickety stairs, narrow and old to finally land at a terrace with a view of the Blue Mosque. It was twilight. We watched the lights being turned on to highlight the minarets, we heard the muezzin calling the believers to prayers. 

I looked at Carol, smiled and pinched myself. We are in Turkey! We are in ISTANBUL!
   

The Blue Mosque At Sunset From Our Table In A Rooftop Restaurant  

Kirklareli, Turkey (TR)

Kirklareli, Turkey (TR) 

I can read the signage in Turkey; it’s written in Latin Script. Kamal Ataturk was responsible for changing the old script to the modern Latin alphabet. Thank you Kamal!

We finally arrived in Turkey, the modern Turkey; our end goal. This Turkey today was the ‘Ottoman’ Empire; the Empire that lasted for more than 600 years. The Ottoman Empire was not a small blip in history, but a true power in the area. Compare that to the Roman Empire which lasted about 500 years, or the Greek Empire which was split into many smaller parts. All those dominant countries, after a while were no longer Empires but have left us with a great history. Greece, Italy, Turkey, Germany are just that, small countries today. There is no evidence of an Empire any longer but there is something about the people of Greece for example, that makes them different. Think of Italy, they have flair! And when I think of Turkey there is a wild strangeness, a smart calculating idea beyond their daily lives. I like Turkey; I have been to this Country before. And now I am back, getting more ideas of what Turkey was and is like.

The most obvious, immediate change noticeable is that the belief system changes drastically once you cross the border from Bulgaria to Turkey. Most of the people in Turkey are Sunni Muslims. But there are many Shia Muslims, Sufi Muslims or even non-orthodox Muslims, too. Not too many Christians, the Christians have left Turkey for the most part. When I say I notice a change in religion I don’t mean to say all the women wear Burkas or the men dress differently, or there is something written on their faces that would make you see something obvious, yet there is a feeling that this country, Turkey, is different. 

At the end of the Caliphate or the end of the Ottoman Empire, or during WWI, or between the two Wars, during WWII and even today, Turkey is in constant change. The reforms Turkey took upon itself are healthy and still ongoing. Kamal Ataturk, a pro-Western thinker, was most likely the most influential man in recent history. But Turkey always was on the cusp between the great religions, Christianity and Islam. Turkey is the buffer zone between the Near East thinking and the European thinking. Not that either of them are bad, they are just very different from each other.

To visit Turkey is a unique experience, especially visiting Istanbul, our final destination. But, as you might know by now, I take my time getting to my goals. Kirklareli, our first stop in Turkey gives me a bit of breathing room, a stop to take a deep breath before entering the very busy Istanbul proper.

For Carol this is her first time in Turkey and I do not know how she feels as a woman in a Muslim Country. I let her write a report on that if she wants to do it.

 Carol writes:  I had absolutely no qualms about entering Turkey. I know from my reading and from previous travelers to Turkey, that western women have no problems in this very tolerant Country. The only stipulation for women was to have hair, shoulders and knees covered when entering a mosque and everyone had to remove their shoes. My biggest fear had nothing to do with my gender but everything to do with the crazy drivers sharing my lane (in fact there were rarely any lane markings) and the amount of traffic flying past at insane speeds.

Kirklareli is a nice town. We had no Hotel reservations so we had to find a room for the night. With a little back and forth and asking people we did OK. Parking the bikes was easy; the hotel had a large enough parking lot. I did not fear for the bike in Turkey. Just park it, put a cover over it, and that is it. We walked along a busy street just to get a feel for Turkey and to get used to the sounds and ambiance.

 When we were looking for a small nibble, an older man took notice and he asked us, in German, if we wanted help. He was Turkish but he spoke German. Not so unusual in Turkey where many men have spent time in Germany working for some years. He helped us to order a soup and some tea and then left us alone. He was a nice guy, neat and orderly looking. The soup turned out to be head cheese soup but it was delicious. Nothing out of the ordinary happened in Kirklareli, exactly what we were looking for. I felt like a visitor of course, but nobody made a fuss about us.

Carol saw that, even though all the cafés had only men sitting at the table, it was OK, as a western woman to have a coffee too. I am ignorant as to why women are not in the cafés. I remember in Morocco, when Carol had to use the washroom once, it was a real dilemma because there was no facility for women at the café. In Turkey, we did not have that problem. At least I never noticed that Carol had problems, but you can see my point, right?

We spent the night eating dinner at the Hotel, which had a restaurant on the top floor. The food was so-so but all and all Kirklareli was the perfect stopover before we rode into Istanbul. 

Nesebar, BG - Несебър -

Nesebar, BG  -  Несебър  -  

My Face When I Think Of Nesebar 

It was a bit of a distance from the Rila Monastery all the way to the Black Sea port of Nesebar. We did not ride all of it in one day. We took our time and found a hotel close to Nesebar for just one night and then, the next morning, fresh and not tired we made it into the ancient town of Nesebar. I don’t like riding in the dark, especially in a country I don’t know too well. I will pay gladly for another hotel stop before actually pushing myself to get to the goal town. No matter how close we are, it is safer to wait out the night and then start anew to find the destination the next day.

No Traffic Allowed Into 'Old ' Nesebar 

Our destination in Nesebar was the St. Stefan Hotel. We had a difficult time finding it because the Hotel was in the middle of the Old City and the whole of the Old City was barricaded with only certain residential traffic being allowed in. Guards made sure nobody entered without the right credentials. There were no street signs within old Nesebar. The roads were ancient, rough and narrow. Nesebar has been made into a tourist attraction; a pedestrian area full of ‘old’ stuff. But with a little NYC brashness Carol and I did take our bikes past the ‘guards’ and around the barricades. After some searching on foot, then getting back on our bikes, we found our hotel. We parked on the sidewalk but the hotel clerk said that was OK. So we rolled our guilt feelings of riding into the town on bikes over to the hotel clerk who said we were OK.

Picture Perfect But....

Mostly Ruins 

Actual Living Quarters In Nesebar

Nesebar is a walking town. It is said the town is so old that it defies logic. Settled on an isthmus, it was very early fortified and this small town served the Thracians, Greeks, Persians, Romans and God knows how many other people. After the Ottoman Empire took it over, it declined and was almost forgotten because who would want to live in those ancient ruins? Some typical, for its time, Bulgarian fisherman houses were built and today this old town of Nesebar is a mix of all kinds of architectural oddities. During years past the whole town, was fortified and even today some of the ancient walls have survived. Oh, it is a tourist haven, full of restaurants, shops that sell items nobody really needs and in the summer it must be mayhem. 

Touristy!

I am so glad we came in early October because while still busy, it was bearable to be with so many gawkers and sight seers. I get a bit peeved when locals try to hassle me to buy stuff, when they step in front of me trying to sell their stuff; when restaurants hire ‘yellers’ or ‘sellers’ to entice me to eat in their place instead of at their competition. It was one of those towns. Carol is nicer; she listens then simply says ‘No, thank you!” I have to copy her more, I get mad and just tell them off. Tell them off in not so nice ways.

Not My Kind Of Stuff 

Beaches?

Ah, we say Nesebar, now I know what the town is like but I can tell you it’s not my kind of town. The beaches are dirty, the place is over-run, the water actually stank from I don’t know what.

We saw it, took some pictures and the next day were gone. Turkey was calling us. I don’t understand why people visit the Black Sea, whether it is in Romania or Bulgaria, I did not find the beaches so beautiful.

Rain Boots With the Toe Cut Out?

Rila Monastery, BG - Рилски манастир -

The Rila Monastery, BG 

The Church Within the Monastery 

We were lucky with the weather; it was windy but no rain. To get to the Rila Monastery we had to drive towards Sofia and the easiest way was the Highway. There is no need for a Vignette for Motorcycles in Bulgaria, so we had a good ride and made good miles today. All went well; even the ring road around Sofia was OK, much, much better than Bucharest and our GPS, soon after the Ring Road, directed us off into more rural areas.

We met wonderful roads, twisted and a bit up and down hilly territory until…..we came to the worst construction site you could ever imagine. What are those people thinking? How can anyone work like this? For about 3 or 4 miles the road was torn up. There was mud all over the roads about a foot deep. Cut up sections with sharp edges, filled with sand. In some spots we had to ride over the sidewalk but had to ‘jump’ the curb at a wrong, shallow angle, which you normally avoid like the plague. We had no choice once committed to this road. We started riding into the construction site and there was no place to stop, no place to turn around. We were committed to continue or crash. And crashing was just not an option, we were in nowhere land, the ‘workers’ were not around, the area was abandoned. Mud spattered on us, the tires slipped a few times, the rear trying to break out. It was with the greatest concentration, with eyes peeled straight ahead, with me saying "Keep on looking up, go straight, breath evenly, keep on going, steady," to myself. It was horrendous! I could hear Carol on the intercom hyperventilating. All I could do was tell her what I kept telling myself, steady, slow but steady. Keep the bike straight, look straight ahead. Hang on! I could hear her saying: “I don’t want to do this anymore", but once committed, there is just no way out. It was absolutely terrible. I have been in tight spots but this spot was the worst. We expended a lot of energy getting through this section. I am not sure if my past experience helped, it might have, but it sure was a doozy. We made it through; albeit our adrenaline was still pumping after we got out of this hell-hole section. Phew! I would not want many of those spots ever again.  We could not believe the sloppy way this construction was laid out, or the lack of warning signs, or how people could work under these conditions, even on foot. With a heavy bike it was a suicide mission. We ran into it by accident, and it left a mark on me. Never again if I can help it!

The Monastery Is Within This Forested Area

As fast as the construction started, it suddenly ended and from then on it was an OK ride but I felt drained and still on edge until we found our hotel. 

The hotel was a bit difficult to find since even our GPS had no clue as to where it was on the long road leading to the Monastery. I asked a honey vendor and he pointed in the direction we were traveling so we kept on going but buildings were only sporadically seen along the route. Close to the actual Monastery, we finally found our spot for the night. It was a more-or-less 'normal' house behind a high wall with a restaurant sign that turned out to be the spot we were looking for.

Old Cobblestone Streets, Narrow Gates To Go Through 

We were in the middle of a forest. This is the only road leading in and out; hardly any traffic. It felt like the end of the world. Lucky for us the Hotel Pchelina had a Restaurant; there was nothing around to get any food. We ate and drank well, actually. The specialty was ‘rainbow trout’ and it was excellent. Never had better.

The bikes were safely parked on the cobblestones within the walls, the food was good, we were safe and sound and I had the good feeling we had survived day unscathed, but the construction experience overshadowed all. I still cannot understand how easily we got trapped into this huge mess of a road.

Larger Than I Thought It Would Be, Happy Colors 

We slept well and the next morning we took the self-guided tour of the actual Rila Monastery. This Monastery is at, or near, the end of the road and deep inside the mountains. It is a wild looking neighborhood; forlorn looking, surrounded by fog and mountains and a perfect spot if you are a hermit.


Exactly how this Monastery got started, Ivan of Rila, the hermit, lived here and became a Saint.

A Bit Of History 

Gilded Inside Of the Church 

Elaborate Frescoes Inside and Outside the Church

The Monastery, the way it is now, was rebuilt after a fire in 1840 or so, but was rebuilt beautifully. The Moorish looking façade only helps the general appeal. Naturally, the Church itself is full of icons, full of gilded items, full of Christian Orthodox regalia but I was impressed by the look of the Rila Monastery. We took some pictures where we were allowed to do so and I was glad we took this long (dangerous) ride just to see ‘another’ church or monastery. This is a UNESCO spot and it well deserves its’ nomination as the most visited Monastery of Bulgaria. It simply is a classic, well-hidden, gem. We were not swamped by tourists, which helped too. The Rila Monastery has my yes vote for a visit.

Kazanluk, BG - Казанлъ̀к -

  Kazanluk, BG  -  Казанлъ̀к  -    

An 'Old' Picture Showing How the Tomb Looked 80 Years Ago 

Thracians, a name I have heard seldom enough, but most times the name gets overshadowed by the Greeks. Thracians are many times called Greeks, but they were not really Greek. Thracians had their own culture, their own Kings and their own way of living. The area they controlled in Anno BC was large and included part of Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and yes, Greece. There are only a few traces of these ancient people left in the world and the town of Kazanluk has a Thracian Tomb for us to look at. Well, not the real grave, that one is by appointment only and you need to get a tour guide and you need to pay a hefty fee. But almost next door to it is a ‘reconstruction’, a copy if you will, of what is in the original.We looked at the copy.

A Grand Entrance To the Burial Site 

At Least I Could Read Some Of It

Water Damage, Even In the 'Copy' Of the Burial Site 

Part Of the Round Cupola Of the Actual Grave 

But before we could get to Kazanluk we had to battle rain, fog and traffic. I already said that leaving V.T. was a bit of a hassle; rain on cobble stones is never a good thing. The fog did not help when I am trying to find my way visually and I cannot see too far ahead. We were soaking wet when we arrived in Kazanluk but luckily the hotel had a large, covered outside area and we could slip under that, strip off the wet stuff and then enter the hotel. The bikes were put near the front door, with a security camera watching over our steeds. The rain did not abate for some time leaving everything wet and puddled. 

Interesting Burial Rituals 

We were only a 5 minute walk away from our hotel to the ancient grave site, but the road did not have a sidewalk, so walking was awkward and again, going to the grave, it was all ‘uphill’.

The Cupola 

Stairs, No Matter Where We Go

It felt like a weird day to me, we really just rode to this town to see the Thracian Tomb and that was it. There is not much else in Kazanluk. And really, even the Tomb (copy) itself was for experts only. I did not get much out of this excursion. Maybe I did not understand the rarity of what I saw, it was a grave site. The ‘round temple’ within the ‘cave’ was painted in murals and depicted funeral rites with a very Hellenistic overtone, Hellenistic meaning Greek. Scientists dated this site to the 4^th Century BC but are very clear that it is of Thracian origin. I guess having Greece so close, so nearby, some of the looks or ideas were transferred. The dress, the general look to me looked Greek, yet what is the difference between Greek and Thracian?   Something I have to look up on the internet!

Day 2 - Velico Tarnovo, Bulgaria (BG) - Велико Търново -

Velico Tarnovo, Bulgaria (BG) - Велико Търново -  Day 2 

Eliza, Our Tour Guide 

Today, after our breakfast of baloney and cheese, still sore from the previous day’s climbing and walking, we took the ‘city’ tour. This day was a Sunday (Sept. 27/15) and we read that the town of V.T. gives free walking tours of the old merchandise streets. Kind of like a historic walking tour. We met a young woman, Eliza, in front of the Info Center. It took us 40 minutes to walk to this spot, so we already felt tired when we got there. Besides Carol and I, we had one more guy on this tour.  Eliza’s English was wonderful. She was our free tour guide for a few hours (3) on this Sunday and she knew her town and the right people and the right stores to go into. Eliza started off by giving us some insight into a few customs Bulgarians have that I did not know about. Here is one of the stories.

In a Magnolia Tree 

Along time ago during a battle, a General received a messenger pigeon that had a white cotton string attached to its leg with a message. During its flight the pigeon was attacked and blood had seeped from its body and mottled the white cotton string with flecks of red, giving the string a red/white, candy-cane stripped look. After receiving this pigeon with the red and white stringed message, the General won this deciding battle and thought that the red and white string brought him luck. He kept this string during all of March and April of every year  and he gave red/white strings to all his friends because he wanted to share his luck with them. Out of this story came the custom, just before May 1^st of every year, to give to your many friends red/white cotton string. Eliza said she wears them around her wrists and literally has both arms full on May 1^st.  Then on May 1^st, this ‘luck’ gets transferred or hung, into flowering trees so that the ‘good luck’ can transfer to nature and grow along with the trees. While we were standing under a magnolia tree I could still see here and there some red/white amulets hanging off branches. It made me smile when Eliza gave me a bracelet even though it was Sept., but I have had nothing but good luck since. I looked the story up on the internet and Wiki tells it a little differently. Still, its a good story. (Red and White Strings)

Eliza took us to an old street in town, still occupied by local artists making ceramic, copper, silver or other artistic items. She gave each of us an herbal mint, said to be good for cold sores and sore throats. This mint was used a lot during the communist era when medicine was scarce. It seems to work.

Turkish Coffee Making 

Our next visit was into a traditional candy shop where sugary treats were made and sold and homemade, original Turkish coffee was brewed. The coffee was thick as mud, brewed on top of the stove and the brew was heated in a sand box on top of a wood fired stove; an original way to heat the room, cook and make tea and/or coffee. We had a cup of coffee, of course and also some sweets, which were very sugary but sooo good. When the coffee was drunk, we were shown how to tip the coffee grinds onto the saucer plate so that from the grinds one’s fortune could be read. Some say, one can see the health of the individual, too. Unfortunately we did not have a ‘coffee grind reader’ at the store at the time, so I cannot tell you what my fortune will be or how long I will live, but so far I am healthy.

The Whole Town Is Built On Hills

Staircases Wherever We Went 

Traditional Balconies On Bulgarian Houses

Telephone Switch Boxes, Transformers, All Decorated 

More and More Stairs 

A Silversmith At Work 

And This Is His Monstrance 

 We chatted with the pottery woman, who sat at her wheel molding bowls and plates.

Making Plates and Bowls, Mostly

I Found It Difficult To Walk On  These Cobblestones

We stopped in at a Silversmith who was working on a monstrance for a church, very elaborate. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monstrance








 We walked cobble stone alleys, stone stairs and saw old churches, some of them abandoned. At one church we could only see the unusual layout and building techniques from the outside since it was Sunday and services were going on.

Each Color, Each Part Of the Dress Had It's Own Meaning 

We were shown traditional clothing; were told that a man’s mustache shows his status in society and his virility, too.

We were shown and yes, we danced in the streets, 2 or 3 traditional dance steps. All had a giggle and the mood was fun and we felt free and a little smarter.

Dancing In the Street With the Laughter Of People Around Me

We said good bye to Eliza and then found a small restaurant we had passed earlier, half way up a hill, that had a terrace overlooking the roofs of V.T. and it felt nostalgic and the food was wonderful.

But then………we went back to the hotel and had a nap. Phew, this town, V.T. has a lot to offer and it wore me out.

A Nice Spot For a Meal

For dinner we had Chicken Kavarma, it was served in an earthen pot, sealed tight so it can stew and cook in its own juices. It was delightful and a new experience. 

We slept like babies that night and after our 'breakfast' of baloney and cheese the next day, we left the garage but not without first 'walking' the route we would have to take to get us onto the main street. The exit was worse than the entrance. From a dead stop inside the flat garage, it was up a steep hill, make a sharp right, miss the potholes, avoid the traffic and don't slip on the cobblestones, through a tight stop avoiding the parked car, along an uphill alley into the busy main street. Phew, we made it.

Other than that, V.T. was a fun town, a good stop for anyone who visits BG.

 

Day 1 - Velico Tarnovo, BG - Велико Търново -

Velico Tarnovo, Bulgaria (BG) - Велико Търново - 

Look at the Cyrillic again, at least you can read ‘novo’ (hobo), right? And the 4^th letter и is an “I”, remember? By the way, novo in translation means ‘new’ and Velico means ‘Great’.

The Yantra River gorge gives this town its character. The river loops around itself a few times and within those large loops the town was built. I found the old town to be very hilly; all the streets were alongside steep hills that made ‘parking’ a challenge.

 Twists of the Yantra River 

Luckily we booked a hotel (Silver Star Hotel) near the center of the old town and the hotel had its own parking garage. Getting into the garage however was almost like an off-road ride. The curves were steep and the bends off-camber. I was glad to be parked inside the garage. Some spots were ‘iffy’ to get through, but we made it to the back of the hotel and into the garage. Getting out will be the other experience.

Rough Road Surface On Your Feet But Also When Riding Your Bike

We booked this hotel for 2 nights knowing we could not even touch on all there is to see in Velico Tarnovo and I am glad we did that. Carol put on her best walking shoes, walking up and down the hills on cobble stone streets sure would be a work out. There were stairs everywhere. The people here must be in great physical shape, everything is built on hills.

Dominating the old town is the Tsarevets Castle, the old Royal Palace. VelicoTarnovo (V.T.), in the time between the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire, was the Royal Capital. The powers that led Bulgaria at that time must have been strong, because the Bulgarian Empire reached way north and included part of today’s Romania.  I am always amazed how the borders between countries change. Just because countries today have an established ‘border’ means little when looking back through history; the lines between what is and what was, shift in seemingly random ways. Nothing is black and white; there are many tones of gray and even blotches where I expect pure white to be. So it is with V.T., once the capital of a powerful King, now a tourist attraction that brings income and new ideas from all over the world. V.T. at her height of power was as advanced as any other European city. The 400 houses, 18 churches and fortifications starting in the 5^th Century and growing until the 14^th Century, show it was a stronghold. The buildings also show that the defensive ideas were great, were well thought out, etc. Some part of the walls surrounding the Tsarevets Castle were 10 meters (30 feet) thick and up to 12 meters high (36 feet).

Bird's Eye View of Old Tarnovo

Carol and I ate up the historic part of town, however not the new part of the city. Bulgaria ‘recreated’, ‘fixed up’ or made explorable the old castle, the Tsarevets. This fortress and town had a very pleasing, very grand looking location. It was dreamlike and made me feel warm and comfortable, just looking at it from afar. 

The Church In the Foreground Is the Center Of the Tsarevets

 


Tsarevets gives you a very good idea how life used to be, how big and organized the society was and that good people were in charge. Ruins still abound and there are no real living sections within the old city walls but you do get the idea when you are inside the historic quarter of the castle. The castle (Tsarevets) occupies the pinnacle of a hill and at the very top is the “Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension of God”.  To get to this Cathedral is a struggle. We made it after about one hour of going uphill and when we entered the Cathedral we were in for a shock. 

Inside the Cathedral After 'Improvements' 

The Style Screams Communism

Sad, Dull Colors, Primitive Painting

This was not what I expected. The whole interior of the church was ‘re’-done during the Communist era and now exhibits frescoes and decorations in a ‘modern’ style, bleak, with scary colors and execution. I did not like it; the church felt like it was ‘raped’ of its essence. It was more like a museum, done in a ‘bad’ way.

Stairs, Stairs and More Stairs 

We spent most of the afternoon exploring the Tsarevets and the ruins of the Royal Palace. Twenty-two successive kings ruled Bulgaria. The palace ruins showed it was huge (4500 square meters = 42,000 sq. feet). Our feet were sore and our calves ached from climbing all those stairs.

Colorful Light Show 

Massive Lights In All Kinds Of Hues

For dinner we went to a restaurant that had a fantastic view over the whole historic Tsarevets and while we ate, a sound and light show started. We could not hear the sounds, we did not buy a ticket to be in the right spot, but we did see the light show and it was stunning and colorful and Carol’s dinner turned cold while she was outside shooting pictures.